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An elderly couple roll dough and cut star cookies at a counter while a chocolate Poodle with flour on its nose looks on. 27 / 32

Frank and Marion Were Busy Cutting Out Star Cookies. Then They Saw Cocoa's Nose.

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Cookie day is in full swing, and the kitchen counter is dusted white from end to end. Marion leans over the dough with a wooden rolling pin, and Frank carefully lifts a star-shaped cookie onto a baking tray already lined with stars and rounds. A bag of flour, a bowl of dough, cookie cutters, and a green mug crowd the counter, and the warm overhead light makes the whole scene glow. In the foreground, Cocoa gazes straight ahead with big, innocent brown eyes, and a telltale smudge of flour sits right on the tip of her nose and across her curly muzzle. Somebody has clearly been investigating the countertop.

Baking with a dog nearby is a sweet tradition, but some ingredients are risky. Raw dough containing yeast can expand in a dog's stomach and produce alcohol as it ferments, which is dangerous, so uncooked dough should be kept well out of reach. Chocolate, raisins, macadamia nuts, and the sweetener xylitol, which appears in some sugar-free products, are all toxic to dogs. Plain flour on a nose is not usually a concern, but a dog that gets into the sugar, butter, or batter may end up with an upset stomach. Pushing bowls back from the edge and giving your dog a chew or dog-safe biscuit of their own can keep the fun safe. If your dog eats something risky, call your vet.

That flour-dusted nose tells the whole story, and Frank and Marion probably saw it coming. Cocoa may not get a cookie, but she has definitely earned a laugh.

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An elderly couple spray and scrub a soapy silver car in a driveway as a chocolate Poodle jumps up toward the hose water.Marion Turned the Hose on the Car. Cocoa Decided the Water Was Meant for Her.An elderly couple sit on a patterned rug as the man holds the raised paw of a curly chocolate Poodle and the woman smiles.Frank Held Out His Hand and Said the Magic Word. Marion Couldn't Stop Smiling.An elderly couple in coats over cable-knit sweaters sprinkle grain into a pond for ducks as a chocolate Poodle looks on.Frank and Marion Brought Grain for the Ducks. Cocoa Got Closer Than Anyone Expected.An elderly couple in cream sweaters work on a jigsaw puzzle at a kitchen table as a chocolate Poodle sits on a chair.Frank and Marion Were Deep Into Their Puzzle. Cocoa Had Taken the Third Chair.